Amidst rumors of Chris Paul to San Antonio, Los Angeles Clippers head coach Doc Rivers tells TMZ that he “absolutely” believes Paul will stay a Clipper:
Rivers was also asked about whether he’d like to see Indiana Pacers forward Paul George in a Clippers uniform, but Rivers said that he couldn’t comment.
Paul will hit unrestricted free agency on July 1. The Clippers can offer Paul significantly more money this summer, and thus the heavy favorites to re-sign him. With that being said, if Paul’s priority is winning a championship (it might be, at this stage in his career), then he might feel that the Spurs can offer him the best chance at doing that. Paul and Kawhi Leonard together would be a scary good nucleus, and LaMarcus Aldridge could very well be more effective as a third option, with the defense less focused on stopping him.
Paul, even at the age of 32, is one of the premiere point guards in the NBA. This season for Los Angeles, Paul averaged 18.1 points, 9.2 assists, a career-high five rebounds and two steals in a career-low 31.5 minutes per game. He also shot a career-best 41.1 percent from three-point range.
